Heaven or Hell?
by Dragonchu89
Summary: A young nord girl from Skyrim has awoken in a strange and unfamiliar place. Taken prisoner by the Dark Brotherhood, she must find some way to escape or face a life of torture at the hands of her captors. Rated T- Various 'things' might happen later.
1. Where am I?

Assassin one

As she came round, the first thing she noticed was a terrible ache in her arms and shoulders. She raised my head, summoning a new wave of complaints from her neck muscles, and saw that her arms were stretched above my head, bound in manacles chained to the wall. Panic overtook her. She was being held prisoner, but what for? She did not remember any struggle or any reason why someone should want her captured. The girl rattled her chains and thought to call for help but she held her tongue. There would be no one to help her. For if she was indeed being held prisoner, then the only people close enough to hear her would be her captors themselves. She did not want to alert them until she had a better grasp of the situation.

Now that she had calmed down, the girl noticed that se had nothing but her underclothes on. She flushed red, suddenly feeling very exposed. There was no light in the room save for the few dim shafts that entered through the archway in the wall at right angles to the one she was chained to. Her eyes soon became accustomed to her gloomy surroundings so she took a few moments to examine the room she was in, for she assumed it was a room and not some gods-forsaken cave in the middle of nowhere. The girl judged the room to be no more than ten meters in length and six in width. She could just make out several torch stands dotted throughout the room. Turning her head, the girl saw a set of shelves next to her, upon which sat mean looking hooks and various other implements of-_Of torture... _she thought.

She dry-swallowed. Suddenly alert. The girl shifted onto her knees, partly to relieve the strain on her arms and partly to get herself into a position from which she could better examine the rest of the room. The girl became aware of other people in the room. To her right, she saw a figure slumped over but still held in place by chains. Even in the dim light, the girl could discern a dark patch of-of- She did not want to think about it.

She observed a shift in the shadows opposite her. Concentrating, she made out the shape of a Nord. He was strung up similarly to herself but had clearly been imprisoned for longer. Beneath his manacles, she could see thick scabs from where they had worn away his skin, Running down the backs of his arms and the sides of his muscular body, she spied dark ribbons of blood. The Nord seemed to notice her scrutinising him and he too lifted his head to look at the girl.

"You're the new blood aren't you?" He asked, his voice barely more that a whisper. The girl wondered about the literal connotations of his statement. Nevertheless, she nodded. "Don't worry," he continued "Sometimes they make it easier for the women."

Her eyes widened in fear. _Make what easier? _She thought. The girl was about to press the Nord for more information when the sudden thump of a heavy door broke the near silence. This was followed by a clatter of metal on stone. Someone throwing down a weapon perhaps? Heavy footfall followed. The girl realised that the footsteps were approaching the room. She cast the Nord a quick glance, her eyes full of worry. He looked back at her apologetically.

Suddenly, a bright flash temporarily blinded her, and the Nord's eyes quickly shut, his face contorted in pain. A bright flame flew to each of the torches on the walls and spread a faint orange glow thorough the room. Once her eyes had recovered form the sudden change, the girl squinted towards the archway...


	2. We shall Endure

**We are glad and thank those of you that read part one enjoyed it! In this next one, our girl tries to figure out more about where she is and about her captors too. Just so you know, we wrote this chapter whist listening to the Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary CD... Also, beware of gore (though not that intense).**

**Please R&R!**

Th dancing flames cast shadows behind the tall figure that now stood before the girl and her fellow prisoners. As her eyes re-ajusted to the new light, the girl saw that the figure was garbed in red and black leather armour. A cowl hid his face, but the girl could see a pair of flashing eyes beneath the dark folds of the hood. He, for it was quite clearly a male that stood before them, surveyed the prisoners. In one quick movement, he threw back his hood and smiled enigmatically at the prisoners. As if he were entertaining guests at some high profile event. The girl was given a better view of his face and she now realised that the man was a wood elf, a Bosmer. His almond eyes darted about the room, never resting in one place, calculating, formulating some kind of plan. His unruly mane of black hair was swept back over the top of his head, a short black beard surrounded his mouth and covered his cheeks. His beard shadowed parts of his face and made it look more angular and feline.

His eyes narrowed and he took several steps forward into the room. The girl noticed a long sword on the belt round his waist as he strutted to the head of the room, where he busied himself with a bed of coals and an iron. The elf lit the coals and let them burn while he continued to contemplate some complex matter in his mind. The girl found herself looking at his armour again. She hoped to ascertain some clue as to where it was she was being imprisoned. She stared for several moments, noticing how muscular his arms were, and how strong and powerful his legs appeared. Beneath his leather bracers, something glinted, bright, menacing and, looking closer, the girl saw several slight bulges in his clothing. _Where one might conceal weapons_... She thought. Contemplating the implications of this, she found her gaze constantly returning to the elf's face. Although he seemed occupied with tending the coals, she sensed that he was aware of her watching him.

He shot her an intense glare from the corner of his eye, the girl felt an involuntary quiver rack her body. As her manacles and chains rattled slightly, she drew into herself and tried with all her might not to think of what might be coming next.

The Bosmer straightened and grinned at the glowing nest of coals, the iron on top of which had begun to glow white. The girl was relieved but also shocked to see that the elf had focused on the nord she had spoken to earlier. He stood in front of the nord, looking down at him.

"Well then Feldun," he purred, the words rolling off his tongue like honey "It's your turn today." Grasping the iron in a gloved hand, the elf waved it in front of Feldun's face and then struck. He pressed the white hot iron into the flesh on the Nord's chest. It hissed as the skin charred and burned. The elf brought the iron down several more times and each time the Nord cried out in sheer agony. The Bosmer had not given him anything to bite down on. No leather nor a piece of wood, so all Feldun could do was scream, is voice echoing off the hard stone walls. The noise frightened the girl, for she had never herd a man make such a noise. The woman next to her remained unconscious and the man to the right of Feldun maintained a steely expression, staring straight down at the floor. But his icy demeanour did nothing to hide the tremors that shook his arms.

The girl shut her eyes and tried to shut out the agonising screams. After what seemed like hour of the terrible noise, the girl heard the 'clank' of metal hitting stone. She looked up and saw Feldun slumped to the side, oozing blisters now covered his abdomen, some patches were charred and blackened. Others were raw where his skin had been pulled away. Tears welled in the girl's eyes and a sense of helplessness overtook her. The elf was now standing over a small set of shelves in between the two prisoners opposite her. He chose a curved dagger and retuned to the Nord. He bent and struck Feldun across the face, rousing him. Feldun's eyes were clouded and kept fluttering as the nord slipped in and out of consciousness. Moving to the left of the Nord, the bosmer grabbed him by the neck and whispered something in his ear. In response, the Nord sat bolt upright, eyes wide.

"Oh Gods," he croaked "You couldn't possibly... Please, leave them be..."

The elf smiled "We won't need to do anything... Just so long as you co-operate. Now, tell me where it is." His voice had not lost its smooth tone. The Nord remained silent and hung his head, eyes closing again. The elf slapped him. "Stay awake half wit." He snapped.

At this, Feldun spat onto the floor near the elf's feet. The elf kicked him in the knee, issuing a harsh crack from the limb just before it went limp. The elf then moved to the side and proceeded to carve a long line across the Nord's upper arm with the dagger, blood spurted from the crimson crevasse as Feldun's arm tensed, and pooled on the floor.

The girl now had full view of Feldun's face, and the extent of his wounds. Even as the elf continued to slice the Nord's arms, Feldun's expression changed from one of agony to intense loathing of his torturer and then back to agony again as the blade split his flesh. He cried out each time the dagger buried itself in his arm ad the girl could now see tears running thick and fast down his pale cheeks. She could hear the elf chuckle as he continued to paint the floor with crimson blood. Then, the elf ceased his actions. He threw the blade to the floor and retuned to face Feldun (Who has now slumped to the side). He grasped the man's chin and, in a voice no louder than a whisper, he said, "Have you got anything to say now?"

The nord coughed and spluttered as his silence earned him a punch in the gut.

"C-check t-the hollowed out tree stump. In the marshes, south of Solitude..."

The elf grinned wider than ever, "That wasn't so difficult, was it?" And with that, he swept out of the room.

"Oh Gods! Are you alright? Why did he do that to you?" The girl cried, her eyes beginning to water. Feldun offered her a weak smile.

"That was nothing lass," he wheezed and his eyes fluttered shut for a moment "I'll be alright soon." His head lolled to the side and he said no more, chest rising and falling with shallow breaths.

The girl doubted very much that he would be...

_Several days later, the elf retunes..._

The door to the prisoner's room flew open, eliciting a cry if surprise from the girl. The Bosmer from earlier stormed into the room and went straight for Feldun.

"You have exactly nine seconds to explain yourself you worthless piece of crap." He demanded, his voice deep and menacing. Feldun barely had time to react before the furious elf continued.

"Two days that took me. Two Gods-damned days. I wasted food and potions and what do I find when I reach your little tree stump?"

Feldun stuttered "I-I-I don't-"

"You don't what? Are you going to try to tell me that you didn't know that your little stash was a fabrication?! A bloody lie?"

The elf was trembling with rage at this point. Feldun's eyes full of terror.

"No-one. Wastes. My. Time..."

With that, the elf strode towards the girl and stopped several feet away. He drew and loaded his bow. He whirled around, took aim and fired it straight into Feldun's left shoulder. The girl gasped. Feldun yelled and tried to pull his arm down, but his manacles held him fast. The elf returned to Feldun and grasped the protruding arrow.

"What's the matter?" he hissed. With a sound of tearing flesh, the elf pulled the arrow out of Feldun's shoulder. Using the same arrow, the elf slashed Feldun across the chest and as blood seeped from the nord's toned body, the Bosmer jabbed him in the opposite shoulder and continued stabbing the man until he was riddled with wounds all down the left side of his body. The girl could only watch, horrified as Feldun was mutilated by the elf. When Feldun looked to be on the brink of death, the elf muttered a spell and aimed a glowing orb at Feldun. The girl cried out, afraid that he was about to kill the man. The Bosmer gave her an icy glare and released the spell. Feldun sighed and seemed to relax as a pale orange light suffused his body. Before her eyes, the nord man's earlier cuts and burns surged and healed over as well as the stab wounds he had just earned. The elf shot one more look at the girl, his face completely unreadable. He left the girl in darkness to ponder what she had just witnessed.

_To be continued..._

**Welp, hope you all enjoyed a bit of gore. We will be trying to update this weekly or maybe even more often than that as it is nearly summer. We'll have plenty of time on our hands. (seeing as we have no social life and hate the sun with a passion)**


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